Pond Boss Forums MANAGING AN EXISTING POND Evaluating and adjusting fish populations Making open water more useful.

What can I do to make the large open center of my pond more useful/used by the fish? Probably 1.5 out of 3 acres of water that is 13-17’ deep that seems to have a low usage rate by the fish. Should I just add species that use that niche such as shad and HSB? or add some type of structure that my existing fish will use such as One giant brush pile the even comes up out of the water like an island?
any other ideas would be very very welcome!!

I've had the same issue, Andrew, though in a very different locale. Finally went with threadfin shad and some HSB. I think HSB might survive your winters, but not threadfins.

Golden shiner and Red Shiner are two natives of your state that will utilize pelagic zones of your pond. Either would be good forage for HSB but LMB will also adapt to utilize them as well.

HSB are fun and tend to take up the open water space. But I have caught many in the shallow areas near the deeper water. In my 3+ acre pond they are a plus I think. I would also add some Golden shiners to the mix. It was recommended I add 90 lbs to a pond with existing lmb/hsb population.

Sounds like I’m on the right track. How many HSB per acre would you recommend. Keep in mind the pond has been and may still be bass crowded.

Andrew, I stocked about 10 HSB (fish, not pounds) per acre, and that seemed to work okay. But every pond is different. If you don't have good forage base, you could try feeding. They are spectacular at the feeder!

Ok thanks I plan to head to Keo in August to get 30 6-8” HSB.
I have already started hand feeding the pond (very inconsistently) but plan to get a Texas Hunter feeder this summer. Do HSB need to be feed trained or do they just start coming to the food?

I would think at the 6 to 8" size they would be feed trained but I could be wrong about that. My 10" sized were feed trained. And it sounds like you need to thin out the lmb. The hsb can put a pretty good dent in your forage numbers and will grow pretty fast and can double in size each year for the first 2 or 3 yrs, if they have the food to eat, forage and pellets. I would advise thinning out the lmb and adding some type of forage fish that likes open water before I added the hsb. Where you are I would think Golden shiners might be the way to go for forage but I'm a southern guy so I could be wrong when it comes to the needed open water forage up where you are.

Yes large lmb is the first goal of the pond. I have been working to thin them down. 40 12-24” fish out in April and took 82 out last year. I will remove every sub 15” fish I catch until it’s obvious that I need to let a few grow. I doubt that they will ever come. I added 20 lbs shiners last fall and hope to add 100 more soon. I wanted to wait until i have good vegetation growth to buy them. Hopefully they will spawn before the HSB get here in August. Maybe by then I can have another 80-100 LMB out. I’m also hoping my YP were successful in there spawn. Based on the fishing this month they are doing great and very healthy. Seemed to have grown well since stocking last fall. I am catching them in wide open water so I hope their YOY will use it too and help feed the HSB. Would any other fish be good forage first the HSB?

Deep water structure is an important part of your plan. See the structure archive for ideas.

http://forums.pondboss.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=92463#Post92463

Thanks everyone